Dear Square Enix, do something with GCD healing please.

[Shurrikhan]

Yeah, but that's not what filler means. You mostly can't substitute GCDs with whatever and not throw you off.

As in "don't hit prescribed filler combo button 3, part of the same exact decision, until after prescribed filler combo button 2, which will only ever be used in that exact context but will never be worth clipping short or restarting" (apart from the aforementioned Atonement per minute)?

See, again, the difference between actual complexity and mere convolution.

Tank DPS play is similarly just "higher value GCD option" vs. "fallback, lesser GCD option," just as per our DoT (higher ppgcd, constrained by duration) and fill. They each lack reason and/or ability to resequence combos to different contextual ends (e.g., for positionals, burst realignment, etc.), beyond the aformentioned PLD filler combo trim.

Keeping up your combo is important to keeping your overall rotation flowing.

They're one and the same thing.

There's an inherent interactivity to that too since you aren't just fighting training dummies, but need to find ways to line it all up when mechanics try to throw you off it.

Not really, no. Until such a time as missing a GCD or two could cause you to skip an entire section of your combo, there's literally no effect on your play, only delay. That may be more punishing, or less punishing, than when all but 1 GCD in 12 has the same ppgcd, but if it doesn't ultimately create an competitive opportunity for divergent play...

It will never matter if you miss a glare cast outside of that single glare cast. It's pure filler.

Nor will hitting a Maim, etc., a GCD late change the script you'd play by.

[ThorneDynasty]

They're one and the same thing.

Your weaponskill combos are a part of your rotation, they definitely aren't synonymous.

Not really, no. Until such a time as missing a GCD or two could cause you to skip an entire section of your combo, there's literally no effect on your play, only delay. That may be more punishing, or less punishing, than when all but 1 GCD in 12 has the same ppgcd, but if it doesn't ultimately create an competitive opportunity for divergent play...

Exactly. You are actually punished for missing steps in your combo in the long run. You aren't just losing just that GCD, because you want to avoid delaying your entire rotation too.

Nor will hitting a Maim, etc., a GCD late change the script you'd play by.

As you noticed I was talking about PLD and GNB, so why you keep bringing up DRK or WAR I don't know. Anway, if it's a step in your set rotation it's by definition not filler - filler is what you fill gaps with, the moments where you have nothing else to do.

[Shurrikhan]

You are actually punished for missing steps in your combo in the long run. You aren't just losing just that GCD because you want to avoid delaying your entire rotation too.

Even when every GCD is of equal potency you are punished for missing steps in the long run and do not want to delay further offensive GCDs. The additional reason varied ppgcd gives not to delay your rotation (though, again, it does not constitute a decision, since you literally cannot skip ahead in that rotation [obligatory mention of PLD filler trim exception]) is if it'd bottleneck other actions with constrained GCD-tie-ins, such as Life Surge or Reassemble.

As you noticed I was talking about PLD and GNB, so why you keep bringing up DRK or WAR I don't know.

"Maim, etc." was an example (hence the "etc") of a GCD within a tank combo. And if your examples are only applicable to aspects of two tanks...

Anway, if it's a step in your set rotation it's by definition not filler - filler is what you fill gaps with, the moments where you have nothing else to do.

That's exactly how tanks' only or lower-potency-per-execute combos are used, though? Taking n steps to perform a single, not-adjustable decision doesn't make them any less a mere rote fallback.

[ThorneDynasty]

Even when every GCD is of equal potency you are punished for missing steps in the long run and do not want to delay further offensive GCDs. The additional reason varied ppgcd gives not to delay your rotation (though, again, it does not constitute a decision, since you literally cannot skip ahead in that rotation [obligatory mention of PLD filler trim exception]) is if it'd bottleneck other actions with constrained GCD-tie-ins, such as Life Surge or Reassemble.


"Maim, etc." was an example (hence the "etc") of a GCD within a tank combo. And if your examples are only applicable to aspects of two tanks...


That's exactly how tanks' only or lower-potency-per-execute combos are used, though? Taking n steps to perform a single, not-adjustable decision doesn't make them any less a mere rote fallback.

Filler doesn't have anything to do with decision making, it's about whether an action is a integral step in the rotation.

[Shurrikhan]

Filler doesn't have anything to do with decision making, it's about whether an action is a integral step in the rotation.

And again, your distinguishing part is literally just that, say, Royal Authority's 363.3 ppgcd is split into 6 steps and 4 buttons. What happens once it's a PvP combo, for instance, and therefore you hit the same button each time? What of the likes of Requiescat's Holy Shock spam, since you're not about to get the 3 different strings' worth of contextual wrappings without sacrificing a large portion of your existing kit?

Would WHM suddenly be more exciting if Glare required 3 different buttons (Glare, Side Glare, Snide Glare)? Would it be more entertaining if, by having to heal before having completed all n steps, you sacrifice disproportionately more damage?

(I'd argue the last is at least somewhat approaching a reasonable idea, but from the worst possible angle.)

[Kabooa]

And again, your distinguishing part is literally just that, say, Royal Authority's 363.3 ppgcd is split into 6 steps and 4 buttons. What happens once it's a PvP combo, for instance, and therefore you hit the same button each time? What of the likes of Requiescat's Holy Shock spam, since you're not about to get the 3 different strings' worth of contextual wrappings without sacrificing a large portion of your existing kit?

Would WHM suddenly be more exciting if Glare required 3 different buttons (Glare, Side Glare, Snide Glare)? Would it be more entertaining if, by having to heal before having completed all n steps, you sacrifice disproportionately more damage?

I think to this day my favorite iteration of healer came from Protection Monks in Guild Wars.

Restoration monks while you found your feet, but when you were ready to not only be a road block but the whole damn gatekeeper to death, Protection was there waiting for you, and the only attack skill I had slotted was my wand's auto attack.